1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to door knobs, and more particularly pertains to a novelty door knob including a representation of a human eye. A wide variety of conventional door knobs are known in the prior art. The present invention seeks to provide an amusing and useful door knob which serves as an indicator, an ornament and as an ornamental door bell device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of door knobs are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a door knob is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,809, which issued to K. Nebe et al on Jan. 18, 1955. This patent discloses a door knob cushion for attachment over a conventional door knob which serves to protect furniture and walls from damage by a projecting knob on an opening door. U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,597, which issued to F. Pitrella on Oct. 25, 1955, discloses a similar door knob cover constructed of a resilient elastic material designed to be frictionally engaged over a conventional spherical door knob. U.S. Pat. No. 2,999,523,which issued to C. Amdur et al on Sept. 12, 1961, discloses an ornamental split door knob cover having a removable central ornamental disk. U.S. Pat. No. 2,997,089, which issued to C. Amdur et al on Aug. 22, 1961, discloses another door knob cover having resilient pad portions formed on one half of a two piece cover. Threads are provided for securing the cover halves over an existing spherical door knob. U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,578, which issued to M. Rubin on Sept. 26, 1967, discloses a generally cubical door knob cover formed from a fabric material and secured by a stretchable elastic tape.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices disclose a door knob provided with a representation of a human eye. Additional features of the present invention, not disclosed by the aforesaid prior art devices, include the provision of a door knob with a human eye representation treated with a phosphorescent or luminescent material to provide a night time key hole indicator. Additionally, none of these prior art devices disclose the use of an axially reciprocal human eye representation to actuate a sound producing device within a door knob. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of door knobs, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such door knobs, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.